Drew Eckl & Farnham is honored to celebrate Black History Month. We are committed to promoting and encouraging diversity and this is illustrated through our policies, initiatives, and programs established across offices, including efforts in recruiting, training and retention. Our firm-supported affinity groups include those who self-identify as or are allied with African American lawyers, Hispanic lawyers, Asian lawyers, LGBTQ+ lawyers, and Women lawyers. We are excited to announce our 2022 initiative: Celebrating Cultures. This year long celebration will include five commemorative months: Black History Month, Women’s History Month, Asian Pacific American Heritage ... Continue Reading
OSHA Finally Ending Large Employer Mandate
On January 25, 2022, OSHA posted notice of its withdrawal of its large employer Vaccine Mandate. However, OSHA appears to continue to pursue a permanent COVID-19 standard. The OSHA website posted the following message: “The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration is withdrawing the vaccination and testing emergency temporary standard issued on Nov. 5, 2021, to protect unvaccinated employees of large employers with 100 or more employees from workplace exposure to coronavirus. The withdrawal is effective January 26, 2022. Although OSHA is withdrawing the vaccination and testing ETS as an enforceable emergency temporary standard, the agency ... Continue Reading
Atlanta Business Chronicle
Drew Eckl & Farnham continues to be recognized by Atlanta Business Chronicle for its success as an Atlanta law firm. We are excited to announce that DEF was ranked as the 5th “Fastest-Growing Law Firm by Attorneys” in the 2021 Atlanta Business Chronicle Book of Lists. This list is determined by a three-year percent change in number of Atlanta attorneys. Additionally, DEF is ranked as No. 14 on the list of Atlanta's Top 25 Law Firms in 2020. Some of the Firm's key practice areas were highlighted including workers’ compensation, corporate defense litigation, insurance defense, general liability, and construction litigation. To view a complete list of practice areas for the firm, ... Continue Reading
U.S. Supreme Court Blocks COVID-19 Vaccine ETS for Large Employers
On January 13, 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a decision blocking OSHA from implementing the COVID-19 Vaccination or Testing Emergency Temporary Standard (the “ETS”) until a determination is issued on the legal challenges to the ETS. The ETS requires employers with 100 or more employees to require employees to either be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or submit to weekly COVID-19 testing. In support of its decision to block the ETS, the Supreme Court stated that the legal challenges to the OSHA’s authority to impose the requirements contained in the ETS are likely to succeed. "This is no 'everyday exercise of federal power.' Although Congress has indisputably given OSHA the power ... Continue Reading
Georgia State Board of Workers’ Compensation Issues First Decision on COVID Exposure in Workplace
On January 5, 2022, The Georgia State Board of Workers’ Compensation has issued its first decision regarding a claim from COVID exposure at work, and denied benefits. The case was brought by the widower of an employee who worked in the control room of a jail, tested positive for COVID several weeks after an inmate tested positive, and eventually died three months later. After an evidentiary hearing, the Administrative Law Judge concluded: “I find that Employee’s job as a records technician in the jail without direct contact with inmates or the public (during the period in question) did not place her at risk of exposure to the global pandemic such that her employment was a proximate ... Continue Reading
REINSTATED – COVID-19 Vaccine Mandates for Private Employers with 100 or More Employees
On Friday, December 17, 2021, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit lifted the stay previously blocking the Emergency Temporary Standard (“ETS”) issued by the Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (“OSHA”) requiring all employers with at least 100 employees to ensure their employees are fully vaccinated or require any workers who remain unvaccinated to produce a negative test result on at least a weekly basis before coming to work. OSHA announced this week that it has implemented the ETS and expects covered employers to immediately begin taking steps to comply with its requirements. The ETS requires covered employers to develop, implement, and ... Continue Reading
OSHA Temporarily Suspends ETS Enforcement
On November 12, 2021, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit granted a motion to halt legal proceedings of OSHA's COVID-19 Vaccination and Testing Emergency Temporary Standard ("ETS"), published on November 5, 2021. The court ordered that OSHA "take no steps to implement or enforce" the ETS "until further court order." While OSHA remains confident in its authority to protect workers in emergencies, OSHA has suspended activities related to the implementation and enforcement of the ETS pending future developments in the litigation. For more information, click on the link below. ... Continue Reading
COVID-19 Vaccine Mandates for Private Employers With 100 or More Employees
On Thursday, September 9, 2021, President Joseph Biden announced the issuance of sweeping COVID-19 mandates that will apply to millions of employees. The announcement was part of the Biden administration’s “Path Out of the Pandemic”, a comprehensive national strategy to combat COVID-19. As part of the Path Out of the Pandemic strategy, President Biden announced that the Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (“OSHA”) was developing a rule requiring all employers with at least 100 employees to ensure their employees are fully vaccinated or require any workers who remain unvaccinated to produce a negative test result on at least a weekly basis before coming to ... Continue Reading
Drew Eckl & Farnham Partners With Diversity Lab’s OnRamp 200
Drew Eckl & Farnham is proud to partner with Diversity Lab's OnRamp 200 initiative to bring 200 women back to the law by 2025. The OnRamp Fellowship, powered by Diversity Lab, is a re-entry platform that matches experienced lawyers returning to the workforce with law firms and legal departments for year-long paid Fellowships. As part of this structured returnship, Fellows have the chance to demonstrate their amazing value in the marketplace while also broadening their experience, skills, and contacts. Each Fellow works with a professional career coach, engages in monthly cohort meetings, and has access to a plethora of world-class training options through PLI and Hotshot. Learn more ... Continue Reading
Juliana Neelbauer Featured on Business Radio X Podcast
On October 28, 2021, senior associate Juliana Neelbauer was featured on Business Radio X's Decision Vision podcast episode alongside Jackie Hutter of The Hutter Group, LLC and host Mike Blake of Brady Ware & Company. The episode, titled "How Do I Select an Attorney?", focuses on factors a business owner should consider when hiring legal counsel, such as finding the right fit, recognizing misleading website rankings, and much more. Decision Vision is a podcast covering topics and issues facing small business owners and connecting them with solutions from leading experts. This series is presented by Brady Ware & Company. To listen to the full episode, click the link ... Continue Reading